Senior Payroll Specialist

About Campus

Campus is on a mission to accelerate the talent of tomorrow and reimagine what college can (and should) be. The problem is clear: college costs have skyrocketed, but outcomes haven’t. Traditional college hasn’t kept up with the aspirations of today’s students—and they can’t afford to wait.

At Campus, we’ve built a two-year, accredited college where students learn from top professors at universities like Princeton, Stanford, and Howard, in live, online classes. Our students graduate with in-demand business and AI skills—ready to launch their careers or transfer to top four-year universities. Our unique approach is grounded in a pioneering technology platform and a heavily-researched student success model that offers students dedicated advisors and on-demand tutoring and coaching. We were also named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2024 .

We’re backed by an exceptional investor team that believes deeply in our vision for the future of education, including General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Bloomberg Beta, 8VC, Rethink Education, Sam Altman, Jason Citron, Shaquille O’Neal, and others.

The world has changed. Higher ed needs to catch up, and we’re leading the way - come join us!

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to fully own and run payroll at Campus, while also overseeing day-to-day benefits administration.

This is a hands-on, individual contributor role reporting to the CFO. You’ll own end-to-end payroll across a multi-state workforce, including full ownership of our payroll system (Rippling), and partner with brokers and internal teams to ensure benefits run smoothly and remain compliant.

Payroll is the core focus, with benefits as a meaningful secondary responsibility. You’ll also help improve and scale payroll systems and processes as the company grows, identifying opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce manual work.

This role sits within Finance and partners closely with the People team, with a focus on accuracy, ownership, and continuous improvement. You’ll be expected not just to run payroll, but to improve how it operates as we scale.

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will…

Own & Run Payroll

Run end-to-end payroll for all employees (including faculty), ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance

Manage multi-state payroll operations, including audits, reporting, and reconciliations

Maintain high data integrity across payroll systems and proactively identify and resolve discrepancies

Partner with Finance on payroll-related reporting, budgeting, and forecasting

Serve as the primary owner of payroll within the organization

Improve & Scale Payroll Systems

Identify opportunities to improve payroll processes, reduce manual work, and increase accuracy

Implement system and workflow improvements within Rippling

Anticipate and solve for payroll challenges as the company scales (e.g., headcount growth, multi-state complexity)

Drive better reporting and visibility into payroll data

Administer & Support Benefits

Administer employee benefits programs (health, dental, vision, 401k, etc.)

Partner with brokers and vendors on renewals and ongoing management

Ensure accurate enrollment, changes, and employee support

Support compliance with ACA, COBRA, and related requirements

Ensure Compliance & Operational Rigor

Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations

Support audits, reconciliations, and reporting requirements

Serve as system owner for Rippling (payroll + HRIS) and partner systems like Fidelity (401k)

Support equity-related administration in partnership with Carta, as needed

We’re excited about you because you have…

6+ years of hands-on payroll experience , with direct ownership of end-to-end payroll processing

Strong experience managing payroll systems — Rippling strongly preferred

Proven ability to identify and implement process improvements in payroll operations

Experience administering benefits programs and partnering with brokers/vendors

Knowledge of multi-state payroll compliance (NY experience strongly preferred)

High attention to detail and strong operational rigor

Ability to operate independently and take full ownership in a fast-paced environment

Nice to have:

Experience supporting payroll through periods of company growth or system change (e.g., scaling headcount, moving off a PEO, system migrations)

Experience partnering closely with Finance teams

What you’ll get:

A compensation package that includes a base salary ($115,000 - $130,000) + equity grant

Actual compensation within the pay range will be decided based on factors including, but not limited to, skills, prior relevant experience, and specific work location. For roles that are available to be filled remotely, base salary will be localized.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) match

Fertility benefits via Carrot

Flexible Time Away + paid holidays

In-office lunches for our NY Office (did we mention, we’re dog friendly? 🐶)

Hybrid work schedule (Mon & Fri remote; Tues-Thurs in-office)

Social events - happy hours, birthday celebrations, holiday parties, & more!

Opportunity to make an impact – you’ll be an integral player in bringing our vision to life

Where we’re located: Tribeca, NY

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer new H-1B visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must already be authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring new H-1B sponsorship.